Whether an Affably Evil villain is less scary than the traditional type depends on how the work wants to play it. And Bob would have every reason to be nervous if she had his mother over for tea. It may or may not involve a Death Trap, depending on how nice she really is when crossed. But a villain is still a villain, and Alice has no use for Bob if he won't change his mind. If this trope gets exaggerated, Alice will invite Bob the hero out for an afternoon on the lake, offer him a favorite dish, talk to him like he's an old friend, and try to convince him that her plan for the world is a cause worth joining. She's devoted to her family, fair to her employees, and enjoys a good reputation in the community, because being anti-society doesn't mean you have to be anti-social. Alice would Kick the Dog she just petted if it got her closer to her goals, but she won't do evil just for evil's sake. She's the very opposite of Charlie: she's so thoroughly dedicated to Evil that she can be pleasant and kind in her daily life without any risk of slipping to the other side. A less-developed villain would be the Stepford Smiler or the Bitch in Sheep's Clothing - but she's not: Alice's good humor is a genuine part of her personality. And you'd never know it, because you only see her when she invites all the neighbors over for a barbecue in her backyard. Alice is an unassuming, ordinary, nice person (who wants to use an infant's soul to power her Doomsday Machine so she can Take Over the World). Alternatively, they may simply be too inscrutable and/or inhuman to inspire anything but terror. They Kick the Dog every day, just because they think it's funny, they can't sympathize with the pain of others, and/or they think no suffering is too great when it serves their cause. Traditional villains are evil in thought, word, and deed.
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